


Even Space Can Be Warmed Up By Christmas

by YukiSetsu



Series: 12 Days of (Lance) Whumpmas [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: 12 days of vld whumpmas, Christmas Party, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Sickfic, bless them, cute voltron family, even though there's like the smallest amount of whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-13
Updated: 2017-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-14 04:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12999630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YukiSetsu/pseuds/YukiSetsu
Summary: Lance leads preparations for a Christmas celebration on the Castle, only to be sidetracked by a bad fever on the big day. Nevertheless, he wants to continue with the party.





	Even Space Can Be Warmed Up By Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> welp posted this later than i expected ahhh
> 
> day 1 of 12 Days of VLD Whumpmas! click [here](https://vldwhumpmas2017.tumblr.com/post/165200383851/welcome-to-12-days-of-whumpmas) if you're interested in learning about it or participating!

It had been Lance's idea. When Pidge had casually mentioned that she figured it was almost Christmas back on Earth, he didn't hesitate to suggest they hold a Christmas celebration.

“Come on, it'll be fun!” Lance plopped down on the couch next to Hunk, slinging an arm across his shoulders. “We'll have some good food—courtesy of Hunk—sing some Christmas songs, all that jazz. I would say we exchange gifts, but there's not really much to find on the Castle that can really be called a present, so I say it's the thought that counts.”

Hunk was all for it, and it didn't take long for the others to warm up to the idea. Keith had been the hardest to get on board, but Lance's excitement was contagious at that point. Once Allura and Coran learned what Christmas actually was, they were as excited as Lance was, maybe even more.

“I'll find a place to hide the Castle for a bit.” Allura grinned, eyes shining. “We'll still be able to receive and respond to distress signals should they arise, so we should remain on guard for those.”

They decided to have the party in 2 days, mostly because Lance argued that things needed to be perfect for them to have a great time. Hunk had rummaged around the storage area and found some material that was somewhat similar to construction paper, and everyone went to work making a bunch of decorations and streamers. That part had been fun, especially when they discovered Keith was horrifically bad at making snowflakes.

“Dude, you just keep it folded and cut any shapes you want into it.” Lance laughed, busy unfolding another one he'd finished. His were great, since he'd had plenty of practice making them back on Earth during the holidays.

“I _am_ cutting shapes.” Keith grumbled.

“You just keep cutting across in a straight line. That's not a shape. Look at Shiro!” Lance leaned over, grabbing at a small and delicate snowflake. “If he can make cute snowflakes like these, I'm sure you can make a normal one.”

Shiro coughed, the tips of his ears tinged a slight pink as he cut another pattern out. Keith, however, didn't look amused. “What the heck is that supposed to mean?”

Lance patted his shoulder, a solemn expression on his face. “I'm saying you'll get there one day, buddy.”

And he did, eventually. Lance had made it his mission to see Keith cut out a decent looking snowflake before the day ended, and after five more tries, Lance held up a perfectly symmetrical snowflake in triumph, saying that Keith should autograph it and frame it after the party was over. Even Keith cracked a smile at that.

The first day passed relatively quick. Aside from the decorations, Hunk looked through the pantry in search of ingredients that could be used for Christmas-like snacks, and Pidge occupied herself with a “secret project” on her laptop. Lance was glad to see everyone getting as excited for the party as he was, especially since their days had been filled with nonstop missions and alliance meetings lately. They all needed a rest. Tomorrow looked like it was going to be great.

...Was what he thought, but Lance was quickly rethinking that notion when he woke up in bed the next morning. He swore he saw the ceiling swirl before he sat up. The room tilted almost dangerously when he tried to slide out of bed, and he bit back a groan at the sharp pain that shot through his head. Well that's great. Getting sick on a day like this was just his luck. He could probably get through the day and sleep it off, though... Probably.

He gave it a few seconds before he tried to stand up again, catching his balance before he had the chance to fall flat on his face. It took way longer than usual, but he managed to get washed up and changed. The others were probably waking up as well, and Lance wrapped his hoodie around him a bit tighter as he shuffled down to wait in the lounge. Halfway through his trek, it became apparent that he might be a bit sicker than he thought. He was seriously ready to take a breather along the wall for a while, his legs feeling like lead. Wow, he was really cold.

Resting on the couch sounded a lot better though, so Lance forced himself to keep walking, although he did resort to leaning against the wall as he walked as a support. It was nothing short of a miracle when he finally spotted the doors to the lounge, catching his breath as he stumbled inside. It was empty, albeit filled with the Christmas decorations they'd worked on yesterday. Allura and Coran had a field day finding places to stick and hang them along the walls. They looked really nice, even though it was kinda hard to see at the moment.

He all but collapsed onto the coach and groaned as he curled up on his side. Maybe he could nap a bit of it off before the others got here. He shivered, adjusting to pull his hood up over his head in an attempt to get warmer. Maybe he should've brought his blanket with.

The doors slid open again and Lance heard more voices and footsteps echo into the room. He easily picked out Hunk's voice getting closer, and he grumbled. So much for taking a nap.

“Lance?” Hunk called out, voice bright. “Whatcha doing lying down like that? You're tired before the party even started?”

If Lance had the energy, he might have laughed. “Dunno. I think I'm a little sick.”

“Sick?” Pidge's voice. “How bad is it?”

Lance wasn't really sure, to be honest. He saw Hunk pop into his line of vision, a look of definite concern on his face as he kneeled down so he was level with Lance's head. A hand touched his forehead, and Lance barely had time to savor the cool touch before Hunk yanked it away with a yelp.

“ _Dude_ , you have a fever. And a high one!” Hunk cried out in dismay.

Lance tried for a small smile. “Gotta keep warm for the holiday season, am I right?”

Pidge appeared behind Hunk, peering over his shoulder with a pensive expression. “Woah. You look terrible.”

Before Lance could even think of a reply, Hunk grabbed him by the shoulders, gently sitting him upright. He grunted at the movement, not even having the strength to resist and stay lying down.

“You need to go back to bed and rest, man.” Hunk started, and Lance's eyes widened. He swatted at Hunk's hands, although there was barely any force put into it.

“Uh, no, we have a Christmas party to celebrate. I'm not sleeping through it.”

Hunk huffed out a breath. “We can postpone it, not cancel. It's not really gonna be a fun party when it looks like you're gonna keel over any second.”

“I don't wanna postpone it either.” Lance was sounding whiny, and he even knew it. But he'd been so ready for this day that he didn't want to push it back. Another rush of dizziness swept over and he groaned, letting his eyes shut as his head fell back against the coach.

“What's going on?” Shiro's voice rang in from behind.

“Lance has a really bad fever, but he still wants to do the party.” Hunk said, unhappy.

“Which is ridiculous.” Pidge supplied unhelpfully.

Lance heard more footsteps before another hand was on his forehead, this time a bit longer. It felt nice. He heard Keith whisper something before the hand disappeared, although he couldn't catch what it was.

“Lance...” From Shiro's tone, Lance already knew where this was going. “That's a really high fever. We need to get it down before it worsens and gets dangerous. We'll have the party as soon as you're feeling better, alright?”

“Shiro's right, your health comes first.” Allura piped up, voice gentle. “Rest assured, we will have the celebration once you recover.”

He couldn't really argue at this point, so he just sighed and gave a weak nod. Hunk shifted his grip, moving to carry Lance bridal style as he volunteered to take him back to his room. Coran was talking about some sort of medicine for the fever, but Lance was getting too sleepy to really pay attention. Hunk talked as they walked down the hallways, but Lance already fell asleep before they reached his room.

 

* * *

 

Lance woke to numerous voices, most of them hushed in an attempt to keep quiet. He blinked, trying to clear away the bleariness. He felt something cool against his forehead, which was comforting, but he still felt like crap. Not as bad as before though, thankfully. He still heard the others talking, and he shifted to sit up in an attempt to see what was going on.

“Lance!” Hunk was the first to notice, by the bedside in an instant. He picked up the washcloth that fell off of Lance's forehead, handing it off to Pidge. “How you feeling?”

Lance pondered it for a moment, trying to swallow down his dry throat. “...Thirsty.”

“Here you go, my boy.” Coran made his way over, water pouch in hand. He held out his other hand as well, which held two small tablets. “Medicine for the fever. Pidge and Hunk here helped me concoct something that might have similar healing effects to the medicine you all might have on Earth.”

He took those gratefully, downing both the water and medicine. The water felt great, and he finished the entire pouch in no time. Hunk took the empty packet just as Pidge returned with the washcloth.

“Alright, back to sleep with you.” Hunk ordered, letting Lance lie back down before placing the cloth back on his forehead. It had been rewet, and the cool sensation coaxed the tendrils of sleep back once more.

“Where're the others?” Lance mumbled, his eyes fluttering closed.

Hunk's voice was already growing distant, but he managed to hear it this time. “They're, uh, working on something. Don't worry about it. You focus on getting better, man.”

 

* * *

 

When Lance woke up again, it was in a panic. How late was it? How long had he been asleep? He couldn't even look out a window to gauge the time of the day since they were in space. He burst upright, ignoring the slight pang in his head. Wow, definitely an improvement from the splitting headache he had earlier. But even if the headache had been bad, he wouldn't have noticed it amidst the surprise that washed over him when his vision fully adjusted.

His room was... colorful.

It was littered with familiar snowflakes and cutouts of snowmen and Christmas trees. Somewhere to the side, there was a small hologram of an actual Christmas tree, fully aglow with a bright assortment of lights and ornaments. The star at the top was the brightest, covering half of the dimly lit room with a warm yellowish tint.

Only then did his eyes fall on the others, who were standing in different areas of the room, all looking at him like a deer in headlights. Clearly caught in the middle of finishing something.

“Uhh... Surprise!” Hunk called weakly, hands holding a tray of... cookies? Now that he realized it, the room had the faintest scent of gingerbread, warm and soothing and so like Christmas morning at his home.

Lance was stunned silent for a good few seconds. “... What's going on?”

Shiro shifted his feet, holding a few unhung snowflakes in his hand. His own snowflakes, Lance noted. “We figured that since you needed to rest in bed, we'd just bring the party to your room.” He gave a small smile. “It's more cozy this way, anyways.”

They all watched him, almost eager for his response. Lance felt his eyes sting with tears. He almost feared this was just a fever-delusional dream his brain was cooking up, but he shoved that thought away. This was real.

“This is amazing, guys. Seriously.” Lance finally managed, a smile growing on his face. “Thanks.”

The atmosphere instantly relaxed, and Allura was the first to go back to sticking more snowman decorations along his wall. Shiro and Keith followed along with the decorating as they handed Coran his own share of snowflakes to hang. Hunk made his way back towards the bed, balancing the tray on one hand as he put his free hand on Lance's forehead. He grinned, wide and relieved.

“The fever's definitely gone down. I think this finally calls for a celebration!” Hunk turned around, pointing at the corner of the room. “Hit it, Pidge!”

Lance glanced over, spotting Pidge on the ground with her laptop. She tapped at something before music started to fill the room, light and happy.

Lance blinked. “Is this... Is this 'Sleigh Ride'?” A laugh escaped him, mostly out of disbelief. “How the heck did you get that?”

Pidge smirked, wagging her finger. “That's a secret.”

Hunk laughed, waving a hand towards the group. “Alright, enough decorating! Let's enjoy these Christmas cookies, courtesy of me. I know they smell like gingerbread, but they taste more like peanut butter cookies. Don't ask me why.”

“I'm sure not complaining.” Pidge grinned, setting her laptop down and making her way over with the others.

But before anyone could grab at a cookie, Hunk held the tray away. “Wait, we almost forgot. Ready?”

Lance didn't understand what that meant, but the others seemed to realize, huddled together by the bed with various degrees of smiles on their faces. Hunk counted off before they all spoke in unison.

“Merry Christmas, Lance!”

Lance's heart felt full. It really did. So much that he almost choked up when he replied with, “Thanks, guys. Now let's get to those delicious cookies Hunk made.”

They happily obliged, filling Lance in on how they managed to set up the tree hologram and transferred all of the decorations to Lance's room. Hunk apparently set his first batch of cookies on fire, but he insisted those had been a test trial. Lance listened, munching on the cookie (which was delicious) and watching the others talk and laugh.

He was gonna tackle them all with a hug once he was completely better. Even Keith.

 

**Author's Note:**

> i'm sorry i don't reply to comments often, i do read them (and appreciate them so much) whenever i log on! thank you to everyone who reads :')
> 
> i'll probably be more responsive on [tumblr](https://yuki-setsu.tumblr.com/), so feel free to visit me there ^^


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